After last rites are observed for the fallen Shadow Lord, Rachel Palmer reveals to the Avengers the origin of his ancient enemy, the Berserker, an immortal warrior who lives only to kill. Meanwhile, released from his long imprisonment under the lava of Mt. Vesuvius, the Berserker single-handedly defeats whole regiments of Italian army troops. When the Avengers attack, their opponent, armed with a blazing power sword and driving a fiery chariot drawn by flying robotic horses, batters his way through the heroes' ranks, abducting Rachel and appropriating the gemstone necklace given her by the Shadow Lord. In a rematch, he succeeds in defeating the entire team until Wonder Man deduces that the Shadow Lord's jewels are the means of access to the Shadow Realm of his millennia-long exile. Activating the gemstones precisely at sunset causes the Berserker to vanish into that twilight world, whereupon the Wasp's sting destroys the jewelry, trapping him there forever.

Notes

This issue contains an advert for Hostess Fruit Pies featuring The Thing Vs. some unnamed aliens.